Cloning and expression of lumbrokinase gene in Pichia pastoris

Lumbrokinase gene F238 was amplified by RT-PCR from the total RNA of earthworm (Eisenia fetida). The gene including signal peptide sequence was inserted into pUCm-T vector to construct pUCm-T-F238. The product was sequenced. The GenBank accession number was DQ202401. Lumbrokinase F238 comprised 738bp and included an open reading frame that encoded a polypeptide of 245 amino acid residues, containing a signal peptide of 7 amino acid residues and a mature peptide of 238 amino acid residues. Both nucleotide and amino acid sequences homologies were 99% after the sequence was compared with Lumbricus rubellus F-III-2. There were two base pair mutations, which subsequently caused two amino acid mutations. The characteristics and structure of F238 was analysed and predicted with biology softwares and databases. The pl of F238 was 4.61. It had eleven Cysteines, which formed three disulfide bonds. Its secondary structure mainly consisted of beta-sheet. Lumbrokinase F238 had serine active center. It was a protease in trypsin family of serine protease superfamily. Lumbrokinase gene F238-m without signal peptide sequence was obtained by PCR using pUCm-T-F238 as template. The expression vector pPIC9-F238-m was constructed by inserting gene F238-m into yeast expression and secretion plasmid pPIC9. Plasmid pPIC9-F238-m was linearized with BgIII and then transformed into Pichia pastoris strain GS115 cell by electroporation method. Phenotypes of transformants were screened in MM and MD plates to ensure the integration of lumbrokinase gene F238-m into yeast chromosome DNA. Methanol was added to a final concentration of 0.5% for the expression of recombination protein every 24h to maintain induction. The result of SDS-PAGE showed that the molecular weight of the expression product was about 28 kDa, in correspondence with the theoretical molecular weight. After the induction of expression, the fibrinolytic activity of the supernatant was measured using artificial fibrin plates. Then the engineering strain of high activity was obtained, and the fibrinolytic activity was up to 100 U/mL.